A new report says that Hispanic children comprise the fastest-growing segment of the child population in North Carolina, but that they are more likely to live in poverty even though most live with parents who work.

The report, "Latino Children in North Carolina," was issued by Action for Children North Carolina, a Raleigh-based nonprofit organization that puts attention on matters that affect children.

"Every child has the potential to be an asset to North Carolina," said Barb Bradley, President & CEO of Action for Children. "It is the decisions we make today about what we are willing to invest in our children that will determine whether they all have the opportunity to fulfill that potential."

The report finds that Hispanic children in North Carolina are more likely than the overall child population of the state to live in poverty or a low-income household, and to suffer from food insecurity. On average, Hispanic parents have less education, lower wages and fewer worker protections than white parents, the report says.

The report also finds that low-income status and other barriers to health care access mean that a greater percentage of Hispanic children lack health insurance coverage, a medical home and a regular dental clinic, and fewer Hispanic mothers receive adequate prenatal care than in the general population.

The report is available online at www.ncchild.org.